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Brother

Brother

6.5
A man who belongs to a Christian religious community and often lives in a monastery
  • noun
  • /ˈbrʌðər/
  • Formal
translation icon : hermano
  • Cardinal brothers, we will now proceed to the first ballot.
  • Brothers and sisters
  • Brother Daniel

All right, God bless you, my precious brothers and sisters.

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Examples

  • Amen by the young brother, with all due respect.

  • When would you guess that the incident with Brother Johnson took place?

  • Look, your brother has a gift.

  • My brother, I'm in need of your hands again.

  • In this tradition, a brother searches for his sister who passed away.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Nevertheless, as president and elder brother, Robert Kelly held the upper hand.

    Academic text (2017)
  • I do not think that the baptism worked, brother.

  • Brother, I wouldn't miss it.

  • - The order was given by Brother Elias, your vicar.

  • The priest introduced him as Brother Thomas during the ceremony.

Idioms

oh brother
  • Informal
2 8.7

A phrase that shows frustration or annoyance

1 6.7

A very large number of people, almost everyone

Compounds

269 1.0

A brother who is younger than you

153 1.6

A man in your family by marriage, for example your spouse's brother or your sister's husband

119 3.4

An older brother who looks after and helps you

46 2.1

A brother who has only one parent in common with you

27 7.0

A person or organization that watches and controls people's lives too closely

11 5.1

A man not related by birth who promises loyalty and closeness for life, often after a ceremony

big brother
  • Literature
8 4.8

A powerful government or company that watches people and their private information

A boy or man who your parents raise in your family though not born to them

soul brother
  • Archaic
2 7.5

A Black man who shares close friendship and support in his community

A boy or man who is not a blood relative but is raised as part of your family

Surface Forms

Brother singular
Brothers plural

Etymology

The word Brother comes from an old word meaning 'male sibling', someone of the same family. Religious communities began using it to show members were like a family, so monks call each other Brother as a title.